| Overall Rating | Silver - expired |
|---|---|
| Overall Score | 59.69 |
| Liaison | Susan Dorward |
| Submission Date | July 31, 2019 |
| Executive Letter | Download |
Raritan Valley Community College
OP-5: Building Energy Consumption
| Status | Score | Responsible Party |
|---|---|---|
|
2.63 / 6.00 |
Susan
Dorward Sustainability and Energy Coordinator Facilities and Grounds |
Figures needed to determine total building energy consumption:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Grid-purchased electricity | 33,063.90 MMBtu | 32,119 MMBtu |
| Electricity from on-site renewables | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
| District steam/hot water (sourced from offsite) | 0 MMBtu | 0 MMBtu |
| Energy from all other sources (e.g., natural gas, fuel oil, propane/LPG, district chilled water, coal/coke, biomass) | 36,637 MMBtu | 28,647 MMBtu |
| Total | 69,700.90 MMBtu | 60,766 MMBtu |
Start and end dates of the performance year and baseline year (or 3-year periods):
| Start Date | End Date | |
| Performance Year | July 1, 2017 | June 30, 2018 |
| Baseline Year | July 1, 2004 | June 30, 2005 |
A brief description of when and why the building energy consumption baseline was adopted (e.g. in sustainability plans and policies or in the context of other reporting obligations):
The '04-'05 baseline was adopted in '11 when RVCC first applied for a STARS rating.
Gross floor area of building space:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Gross floor area of building space | 510,000 Gross square feet | 441,000 Gross square feet |
Source-site ratio for grid-purchased electricity:
Total building energy consumption per unit of floor area:
| Performance Year | Baseline Year | |
| Site energy | 0.14 MMBtu per square foot | 0.14 MMBtu per square foot |
| Source energy | 0.28 MMBtu per square foot | 0.29 MMBtu per square foot |
Percentage reduction in total building energy consumption (source energy) per unit of floor area from baseline:
Degree days, performance year (base 65 °F / 18 °C):
| Degree days (see help icon above) | |
| Heating degree days | 4,651 Degree-Days (°F) |
| Cooling degree days | 1,270 Degree-Days (°F) |
Floor area of energy intensive space, performance year:
| Floor Area | |
| Laboratory space | 20,300 Square feet |
| Healthcare space | 0 Square feet |
| Other energy intensive space |
EUI-adjusted floor area, performance year:
Building energy consumption (site energy) per unit of EUI-adjusted floor area per degree day, performance year:
Documentation (e.g. spreadsheet or utility records) to support the performance year energy consumption figures reported above:
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to shift individual attitudes and practices in regard to energy efficiency (e.g. outreach and education efforts):
A brief description of energy use standards and controls employed by the institution (e.g. building temperature standards, occupancy and vacancy sensors):
RVCC uses a building control system from Automated Logic Corporation to manage the HVAC systems for most buildings on campus. When occupied (between 6:30am and 9 or 10pm in most buildings), temperatures are set at 69-70 in winter and 72 in summer. When unoccupied, temperatures are allowed to range between 55 and 80 degrees in most buildings. Temperatures are adjusted upon request from occupants.
A brief description of Light Emitting Diode (LED) lighting and other energy-efficient lighting strategies employed by the institution:
LED lighting is used in all parking lot and walkway lighting and over half of the buildings (new and replacement fixtures). Many PAR30 and PAR38 bulbs and 2x2's are LED.
A brief description of passive solar heating, geothermal systems, and related strategies employed by the institution:
The Library is partially heated by passive solar through the extensive south facing windows. Somerset Hall, the West building, and the upper floors of Hunterdon also benefit from significant southern exposure (the length of the buildings facing south). The West building has sun shields above the southern windows to provide shade in summer but allow light in winter.
A brief description of co-generation employed by the institution, e.g. combined heat and power (CHP):
In 2007, RVCC installed a 1.4MW co-generation engine, becoming the first community college in the country to do so. The co-generation unit is a natural gas fired reciprocating engine that generates 1.4 megawatts of electricity coupled to an absorption unit that converts exhaust engine gases to either 320 tons of cooling or 2000 MMbtu hot water.
The goal of the plant is to reduce carbon emissions by 1900 tons per year. The College received a grant for $1 million from the NJ Board of Public Utilities to construct the cogeneration plant.
A brief description of the institution's initiatives to replace energy-consuming appliances, equipment and systems with high efficiency alternatives (e.g. building re-commissioning or retrofit programs):
HVAC equipment has been recommissioned as part of the rollout of automated controls across campus. All buildings except for portions of Somerset and Hunterdon have been recommissioned. New HVAC equipment has been installed in the Library and Arts building.
The website URL where information about the programs or initiatives is available:
Additional documentation to support the submission:
Data source(s) and notes about the submission:
Grid-purchased energy includes energy from on-site solar array, since we don't own the SRECs. (So on-site renewables is 0.)
Gas and fuel oil data for 2004-5 is from the greenhouse gas report.
Grid-purchased energy includes energy from on-site solar array, since we don't own the SRECs. (So on-site renewables is 0.)
Gas and fuel oil data for 2004-5 is from the greenhouse gas report.
The information presented here is self-reported. While AASHE staff review portions of all STARS reports and institutions are welcome to seek additional forms of review, the data in STARS reports are not verified by AASHE. If you believe any of this information is erroneous or inconsistent with credit criteria, please review the process for inquiring about the information reported by an institution or simply email your inquiry to stars@aashe.org.